Cinnamon Lee’s creations explore the space between man and machine-made, traditional and contemporary.
February 22nd, 2012
“It found me,” says designer and metalsmith Cinnamon Lee when asked how she first discovered her passion for design.
Lee takes inspiration from “nature, technology, humanity” to create jewellery and lighting that plays with the perceptions of those that encounter it, her studio following a “two-pronged approach” that lets her balance what she creates according to demand.
“Over the last 18 months bespoke jewellery and commissioned work has dominated, which helps support the exhibition/experimental side of my practice,” she explains.
“This has not really been a result of precise planning but more a case of going with the flow and responding to what happens around me, especially given that the market for what I make is undergoing significant changes and what I make is quite specialised.”
Lee’s Long Life Bulb Chandelier was a showstopper at 2011’s Launch Pad finalist exhibition. Expired lightbulbs, once redundant, are given a new life by providing a decorative element to the large disc-shaped piece, which is in fact illuminated by a ribbon of LEDs.
Controlled by a proximity sensor, the light is switched on and off with a wave of the hand, the light changing colour temperature and brightness depending on the proximity of the operator.
Lee used the interactive switching component in developing her latest series of lamps, Chameleon (currently on show as part of Object Gallery’s ’Stories in Form’ exhibition), interactive pendant lights that change hue as they interact with the user.
“The Chameleon lamps employ new technologies in order to create a product that extends the perceived potential of what a lamp may be,” Lee explains.
“Traditional lampshade forms have been adopted as the starting point, however their profiles have been dissected and repeated rotationally in order to produce deconstructed double-skinned versions.
“The shade in this case doesn’t perform its conventional duty of directing glare, but instead, given the unique nature of the LED light source, provides a different functional platform – reflecting the coloured light – thus focusing attention on the wire detail within the lampshade, instead of averting it.”
With a practice spanning 15 years, Lee stresses the importance of opportunities for support and engagement between designers and manufacturers to bolster Australian design, as well as government support for prototyping research and development grants, initiatives that follow through on product development, as well as increased support from specifiers – “for local design,” she says, “instead of cheaper imports or rip-offs.”
Photography: John Lee Photography
Cinnamon Lee
cinnamonlee.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Didier studio celebrates the harmony of democratic design and understated utility with the Gunzel seating and table collection.
The new terminal interiors at the Hamilton Kirikiriroa Airport celebrate the beauty to be found in transition and a connection to the local identity of New Zealand.
Australia’s leading producer of solid-engineered oak flooring has recently launched a new suite of innovative resources to support creativity and ambition in the architecture and design community.
For Living Edge, B-Corp certification was the next appropriate step in a long journey focused on building a truly sustainable and socially responsible business. In 2023 they achieved certification at their first pass, giving customers a new level of environmental assurance and the company an important milestone to celebrate across two decades of staff-led, sector-leading sustainability practices.
Combining function with aesthetic as well as sociability with practicality, Rogerseller presents Bontempi Cucine, the latest in kitchen design.
It’s not all beaches and sun – the city of Sydney faces its fair share of challenges, and DLAB: Designing Sydney serves up some possible solutions.
The launch of LANDscapers, a unique temporary public art installation, was held on March 26th at the State Library of Queensland, South Bank.
Great Dane celebrated 10 glorious years with a party at their Sydney showroom on Tuesday 27 March, and at their recently opened Fitzroy showroom on Thursday 29 March. Special guests included Bo and Morten of Danish design studio FurnID, Peter Maddison of Grand Designs Australia and some gorgeous Great Dane canine friends.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
The Luminary category at INDE.Awards 2023 Gala caused quite the buzz on stage. We look at who this year’s Luminaries are, and what makes them shine so bright – both in their day-to-day practices – and on the night!
A reminder that the kitchen really is the heart of the home, the winners of the 2023 Gaggenau Kitchen of the Year Design Contest each let design shine.